Apr 11, 2008  |  By: DAVID ALEXANDER NAHMOD  | COMMENTS     

The soap opera industry has been in trouble for some time. Ratings are plummeting, actors are being taken off contract, shows are being cancelled. At message boards, soap fans are bemoaning the loss of their shows.

Reality shows, on the other hand, continue to flourish. Bravo’s series “Work Out,” which presents its third season opener on Tuesday, April 15 at 11 p.m. (moving to its regular 10 p.m. slot on April 22) is further proof that reality shows are the new soaps.

For those of you who haven’t seen the show before, meet Jackie Warner, a buffed, gorgeous, proud lesbian. Jackie owns and operates Sky Sport and Spa, an all-purpose gym and weight loss clinic on the trendy West Side of Los Angeles, and her relationships with her bartender girlfriend, Brianna, her staff and her clients are the focus of this fun, fast-paced, off-the-cuff series. Jackie’s a tough, no-nonsense woman who doesn’t take crap from anyone, but she’s also fair-minded and has a good heart that’s not always appreciated.

The start of the show brings us back to some old dramas and adds some fresh intrigue to draw in dedicated viewers and neophytes alike.

Rebecca, one of Jackie’s trainers, is a bisexual woman who used to have a sexual friendship with Jackie, though the two never actually dated. Rebecca’s jealous of Jackie’s relationship with girlfriend Brianna, and Jackie knows it.

Then there’s Brian, a straight trainer who thinks the world revolves around him. Brian doesn’t like Jackie, and it’s mutual.

When Jackie hires über-hot Gregg to be a new trainer, Brian takes this as a personal slap in the face and gets extra-infuriated when he’s not allowed to sit in on one of Jackie’s private business meetings. The tension between them grows and is reminiscent of the catfights between Alexis and Krystle on “Dynasty.” Alas, it’s unlikely we’ll see Jackie and Brian throwing mud at each other or tossing each other into the pool — Jackie’s much too astute of a business woman to let things go that far.
 
PAN BACK TO Gregg, and we’re just in time to see him start training clients while shirtless — sure, it doesn’t fly in a standard place of business, but this is Bravo after all, the unofficial gay channel. The cutie starts dating a female client, however, which is not cool with Jackie at all.

In between all this intrigue, we get glimpses of Jackie at work. She’s extraordinarily good at what she does, and cares about her clients. Before matching several obese clients with the right trainers, she consults with a doctor, listens to advice and painstakingly reviews the clients’ medical needs.

Tyra, a Hurricane Katrina survivor who gained a lot of weight in the stressful aftermath of that real life disaster, pours her heart out to Jackie, winning the trainer’s (and the audience’s) well-deserved sympathy. She’s down but not out, determined to get a handle on her weight and her life.

Though seeing Jackie on the job is impressive, it’s not nearly as much fun as the behind the scenes hijinks that go on when the clients aren’t around. That’s what “reality” shows are truly about — the drama. (It makes you wonder why viewers don’t just commit to scripted shows.)

This season also introduces JD, a pretty new massage therapist who comes across as shy, sensitive and definitely gay. This could be the cause for later-season drama when trainer Jesse, who has a boyfriend, could make a play for him.

Given the drama — and sometimes downright absurdities — of the show, “Work Out” really does come off as a soap opera. It encompasses the very best of what made soaps popular in the first place: romance, sexual intrigue, multi-layered characters and cliffhangers. And unlike most daytime shows, “Work Out” is clearly unafraid to show same-sex love and lust in all its glory.